InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - Group Sustainability Lead at Cargill Tropical Palm, Yunita Widiastuti said that of the nearly 18,000 employees, 11 percent are female workers with supervisor level 2 and above. Meanwhile for manager level 1 and 2 it reached 3.3 percent..
Cargill Tropical Palm was formed in 2015 to oversee Cargill's palm oil production business, headquartered in Singapore.
Yunita said that the representation of women in companies can increase awareness regarding gender issues, as well as encourage improvement of working conditions for women workers, therefore in 2025, CTP targets 22% female representation at the manager level.“Cargill believes sustainable supply chains must respect human rights. We believe in the importance of all actors in the supply chain – industry, government, NGOs – working together to improve the welfare of people in rural areas, increase incomes, and ensure that children and adults are not treated illegally, abusively or forced labour,” said Yunita, in the Sustainable Palm Oil FGD Webinar Vol 6, entitled “The Agility of Indonesian Oil Palm Women”, in Jakarta last April, held by InfoSAWIT & RSPO.
Yunita said that Cargill's management is committed to respecting and protecting human rights, including the elimination of discrimination, promotion of equal rights, and compliance with legal and regulatory labor requirements.
The role of CTP in protecting women is evident from the values that the company holds, including first, the implementation of the commitment to "doing the right thing and putting people first" which later becomes a guide to protect, support and prioritize employee welfare.
Written commitments related to the protection of women workers have been available and used as guidelines, training and socialization to increase employee awareness which has been carried out regularly.
Regular monitoring and audits are carried out to ensure compliance. Fourth, the company's commitment can increase comfort at work, which in turn can increase productivity.
The company is also noted to have established a Gender Committee, so that according to Yunita, it becomes the basis and guide for companies to treat humans with respect and dignity as the foundation for the protection of female employees.
That's why a Gender Committee is formed at each company location, then, the Gender Committee has an official organizational structure led by female employees, even the Gender Committee has the budget and decision-making authority to carry out various work programs such as skills training, health education, awareness raising about safety. , seminars related to the role of women, running the Cargill Care program as a form of employee concern for the surrounding environment. "Where the Gender Committee management is also given training to improve skills in the mechanism for submitting complaints and conflict resolution," said Yunita.
Then, in collaboration with the Government to build a Women's Worker Protection House (RP3), namely a place, space, facilities, and/or facilities provided to provide protection and fulfillment of the rights of women workers in the workplace.
In order to meet the target of 22% female representation at the manager level, the company is also noted to have made efforts to achieve this target, for example first, by ensuring that female workers have good and equal access to capacity building and promotion.
Second, ensure that there is no gender-based discrimination in the recruitment of workers. Third, in 2020, the company recruited the first female Estate Manager in the oil palm plantation industry. "He is responsible for managing 2,200 hectares of plantations with more than 100 employees," said Yunita. (T2)
